Smethwick Local History Society

May to December 2018

PLEASE REFER TO THE PROGRAMME FOR TIMES OF MEETINGS AS THESEMAY VARY.WINTER: DOORS OPEN 2.00PM, SOCIETY BUSINESS 2.30 FOLLOWED BY OUR MAIN SPEAKER AT AROUND 2.50PMSUMMER EVENINGS: DOORS OPEN 7.00PM, SOCIETY BUSINESS 7.30, GUEST SPEAKER 7.50PM.

2018

9 May - 7 for 7.30pmThe Lightwoods: The Park, the House and the Military Hospital - Before our visit next month, Mary has been busy carrying out research into how Lightwoods House was utilised and will tell us how, while the men marched away to fight, here on the Home Front the Great War made heavy demands on the civilian population that are almost forgotten today. This talk looks at how the people of Smethwick responded, with the Red Cross Military Hospital at the Lightwoods being central to how they, and the women especially, took on the challenges of both funding and running services vital to the country.

13 June - meet at 2.15 outside the Tea Room for a visit to Lightwoods Park Tea Room and Shakespeare Garden
Meet your fellow members for an informal afternoon when you can either eat or drink in the Edwardian tea room or bring sandwiches and sit at the picnic benches. We will then take a stroll around the Shakespeare Garden and at around 3pm Julia Morris will tell us a little of the history and latest developments in this much loved garden which is gradually being brought back to life. Will the Society's Shakespeare-themed roses be blooming? The usual £2 per head will be collected and donated to Lightwoods House.

11 July - 2.00pm (meet at The Coffin WorksVisit to The Coffin Works, 13-15 Freeth Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham B3 1JP
Join us for a tour of this historic site and afterwards enjoy scrumptious tea and cake in their vintage tearoom. If you need information, ring 429 4623 but otherwise turn up on the day - no need to book ahead.

8 August - Meet at Smethwick Council House at 7.15pm for "Smethwick at the Centre" - join us for a pleasant and not too demanding stroll while Mary will tells us how the original settlement of Smethwick was in the vicinity of the Council House. We will look at the remarkable variety of history all around it, so look out for mentions of cough sweets, rowing boats, a World War I tank and a World War II parachute mine. We will also look in Victoria Park to see how our surviving Golden Jubilee trees are faring.

12 September - 7pm for 7.30 THE SLHS ANNUAL CHARITY LECTURE
(A collection will be taken for SLHS's nominated local charity)

"Editing the Black Country Bugle" - This is the only weekly nostalgic paper in the country. Editor Peter Butterworth talks about how it started, the characters he has encountered and some of the amazing stories covered.

10 October 2 for 2.30"Murderers, Rogues, Villains and Thieves" - Now that the Halloween season is upon us and the nights are drawing in, it is the perfect time to hear about local miscreants and their heinous deeds in the 19th century Midlands, as told by Vanessa Morgan.

14 November - 2 for 2.30pmAnnual General Meeting followed by "How to Survive the Great War" - Charles Brecknell has been researching the war service of his great uncle, S.N. Menzies, who served from 1914 to 1919 as dispatch rider and pilot in the RFC/RAF. From family photographs, Mr Brecknell has been able to piece together S.N. Menzies’ time spent training in England and then on the Western Front, Salonika and Egypt.

05 December 2 for 2.30pmChristmas Social followed by "The A - Z of Food Trivia" by Jane Phillips
Jane makes a welcome return visit to take us on a light-hearted journey through an ABC of the origins of familiar food-related items. Afterwards, we will all celebrate the start of the Christmas season in customary fashion with a mince pie and glass of mulled wine.